== BABA'S JOKE AT BETTIAH DMC ==
Namaskar,
The following humorous and loving interaction took place between our
Sadguru Baba and those blessed bhaktas who were graced to be able to
attend the DMC in Bettiah on 23 January 1984.
This particular DMC marked the first time that a tandava competition was
held in Bettiah, so it was a landmark occasion.
Here we should differentiate between the ceremonial dancing of tandava
at every DMC and a tandava competition wherein dancers would dance for a
long period maintaining proper form. Again this was the tandava
competition.
THE HUMOROUS SCENE THAT TOOK PLACE
At this point in the program, the margii - who himself was a bit obese
and going to call out the directions for tandava - is now addressing the
dancers in the DMC pandal. Baba Himself is sitting on the dais and the
pandal is full of thousands and thousands of margiis. Everyone can hear
what the margii announcer is saying. The atmosphere was quite blissful
and joyous.
MARGII ANNOUNCER: This is the start of our tandava competition. We
should all try. You know that Baba is all-knowing. We should all try and
everything will be fine.
(At that time Baba was smiling and in a happy mood.)
BABA: When you say "we", that also includes you doesn't it?
(Much laughter...
...while margiis were still laughing, Baba began smiling broadly and
slowly looked toward all the sadhakas from left to right, scanning the
pandal. Baba continued His divine joke.)
BABA: I will not dance - I cannot do.
(Hearing this, once again there was uproarious laughter inside the
pandal. Baba's words were full of double entendre, or dual meaning. On
the one hand it meant that Baba is the Guru and therefore He is not
going to dance; on the other hand it indirectly meant that the obese
margii announcer is not going to dance.)
BABA'S BLESSING
Baba says, "You will have to build a society in which no one is forced
to weep, where everyone smiles joyfully all the time and gets ample
scope for laughter." (AV-4)
Namaskar,
Parashram
